New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 2018

Yes, Virginia, there is jazz at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. From it's inception in 1970, George Wein, mastermind of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival, created a festival that was indigenous with New Orleans. Whether it was the music, food, arts and crafts everything was New Orleans. That first year around 350 people were entertained by Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Clifton Chenier, Fats Domino, The Meters, The Preservation Hall Band and others. Over the years the festival has grown into an international event featuring musicians and musical genres from around the world. From rock to hip hop, Zydeco to country, African to Native American Indian, music fills the festival's 12 stages. Set off by themselves are three massive tents which house the roots of the festival; jazz, blues and gospel. The majority of the festival goers were there for the big acts, such as Sting, Sturgill Simpson, Rod Stewart, Khalid, Jimmy Buffett, David Byrne and many more but the die hard jazz and blues fans were not forgotten. Over the three day first weekend fans got to see and hear Ron Carter, Russell Malone, Donald Vega, Kidd Jordan, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Charles Lloyd and many many more. Yes, the jazz is still there, you just have to know where to find it.

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